The invention is in the field of exercising devices and is specifically directed to a device of this type which is inexpensive to make and is convenient to use.
Numerous exercisers of this general type have been proposed in the past. One example are exercisers using an elastic cord, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,265. Another is exercisers based on torsional action, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,130. Still another type is based on telescoping action using compression springs, such as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,268,225 and 3,971,255. Still another is based on scissors-type action using tension springs, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,347. Some exercisers use indicators of the degree of force exerted in them, as suggested in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,510,130 and 3,971,255.
The invention is directed to a different type of exerciser, one having a bow-like structure having two arms pivoted at the ends of a central bar and a cord connecting the free ends of the arms. A pair of sliding handles may be threaded on the cord, and a gauge indicating the degree of force exerted by the user may be provided at the pivotal connection of one of the arms to the central bar. The central bar and the free ends of the arms may be particularly adapted to be hand-grasped by the user, as by being formed with indentations fitting the fingers and palms of the user or by being formed with cutouts allowing the user to firmly hand-grasp the exerciser. The exerciser may be made primarily of inexpensive, molded plastic shells easily assembled by hand or with a minimum of tools.
A compression spring may be used to resist pivoting of the arms toward each other in one embodiment, and a tension spring may be used in another.